


Become King Again

by rorygrade



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Attempted Murder, Blood and Injury, Emotional Manipulation, Family Dynamics, Ghostbur, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Exile, Starvation, Tommy tries to pog through the pain and fails horribly, techno being a good brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28617147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rorygrade/pseuds/rorygrade
Summary: Dream may have done more damage to Tommy then he originally thought.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 689





	Become King Again

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song "King" by Lauren Aquiliana

Tommy prided himself on his determination. No matter what utter bullshit life threw at him, he always picked himself back up again and kept fighting. He was the kid who had stood face to face with a tyrant and demanded a duel, the one who even after his brothers had torn everything away stayed on his feet. Other people broke under the pressure, but not Tommy. Never Tommy. He wasn’t invincible, but he was pretty damn close. 

The first night in Logsted had shaken that belief. Tommy hadn’t slept. He sat huddled in the shitty little tent he had built, forcing himself to breathe. Strong men didn’t cry: he had learned that from a young age from watching his brother. Technoblade never showed any sign of weakness and neither would Tommy. It was people like Wilbur and Tubbo that got all emotional. Tommy wasn’t like them. He refused to be like them. 

Ghostbur visited him a lot at first. Tommy felt more like a man and less like a scared child standing at the edge with him around. Ghostbur was naive and soft. It was easy to feel strong in comparison. 

When Dream visited, Tommy felt a little less strong. That blank smile cut right through his walls and peeled them back for everyone to see. Tommy hated it. He spoke less with Dream around. The fewer words he let slip, the fewer things Dream could use against him. The masked man always knew how to poke at just the right spots. 

“You can be honest with me,” Dream liked to say. “I’m the one friend you have left. No matter what, I’ll always be right at your side.”

Once, Tommy had slipped up. It had been a long day gathering resources, and just as Tommy was finally feeling good about his situation, Dream had shown up to tear it all away. Tommy couldn’t do anything but watch as the older man carefully destroyed the food he had gathered. It had been three days at that point since Tommy had eaten. 

“Dream, can I please just keep one piece of bread? That's all, you can destroy the rest." Tommy had asked. He sat across from Dream in the tent, trying to ignore the horrible way his own body trembled. 

Dream seemed to consider it behind his mask. He eventually shook his head. “You know the rules, Tommy. I can’t just let you keep that food.”

“That’s not fair.” Tommy whispered. He clenched his hand into a fist, digging his fingernails into his dirty skin until it left marks. Unwillingly, his eyes began to water. He wiped at them angrily. He heard a low chuckle from next to him.

“Are you seriously crying?” Dream asked. He snorted in disbelief. “Man, you’re so fucking sad to look at. Get a hold of yourself.”

Tommy didn’t respond. He tried to stop the tears but his body refused to listen. The more frustrated he got, the more they fell. Eventually Dream couldn’t stand it any longer. The masked man stood and walked out of the tent. He paused at its entrance, turning and looking back at Tommy. 

“I hope you know this is the reason no one visits you anymore.” Dream said. His tone was light and matter-of-fact. Somehow that hurt more than being yelled at. Tommy bit his lip until he could taste blood trying to keep himself from sobbing. The torn up handkerchief around his neck was covered in snot and tears. Tommy tore it off, throwing it across the tent into the dirt. He hated how the wet fabric felt around his neck. 

When Ghostbur visited that night, the spirit had asked about the discarded handkerchief. Tommy was too tired to tell him. He just lay on his shitty blanket, shivering in the cold night air. 

“Tommy, are you okay?” The ghost asked. Tommy grunted in response. Ghostbur gently placed some Blue into his hands. The substance stung against the cuts on his skin. “It’s okay if you’re not. You don’t have to keep it all inside.”

“I’m fine.” Tommy replied. He grit his teeth as Ghostbur hummed. 

“You don’t look fine.” Ghostbur mused. He crouched down beside Tommy and studied his face. “You look sad.”

“I’m _fine._ ” Tommy repeated. _It was the truth_ , he silently told himself. He was strong and people like him didn’t get sad. Heroes didn’t let others down like that. Even Technoblade of all people had said Tommy was a hero, hadn’t he? 

“Maybe if you cried it out you would feel better?”

“Shut up!” Tommy shouted, jolting upwards and smacking Ghostbur’s hand way from his shoulder. The spirit recoiled. Tommy glared at him. “I’m not gonna fucking cry.”

“I didn’t mean--”

Tommy bared his teeth and lunged at Ghostbur. His punch went straight through him and connected with the solid stone furnace. He yelped at the crunching sound and grabbed his wrist. Ghostbur leaned over his shoulder. 

“Is your hand okay?”

“Get out of here.” Tommy hissed. Tears threatened to well up in his eyes and he slammed his hand into the furnace again. The pain momentarily held them back. “I don’t fucking need your pity.”

Ghostbur didn’t visit for a week after that. Tommy tried to convince himself it was a good thing. Dream had seemed impressed by the blood covering the furnace and Tommy’s mangled hand, and his opinion mattered way more than some stupid ghost’s anyway.

  
  


When Technoblade found Tommy in his basement, he expected the piglin to mock him. He knew he looked like shit. Between the grime covering his body and the fact he had managed to lose a shoe in the snow earlier, he prepared for Techno to laugh at him like Dream did. Maybe he would call him gross. Tommy reasoned it was okay if he did though, because it was true. 

Instead Techno wrapped him in his red robe and forced him upstairs. Tommy huddled in the fabric, soiling the wool with dirt and snow. Techno seemed more concerned about getting Tommy in front of the fire than the mess, however. 

“I’m getting your clothes all dirty.” Tommy had tried to warn him. Techno ignored the comment, pressing a flask of water and loaf of bread into Tommy’s hand. 

“Eat.” His brother demanded gruffly. Tommy complied. It felt good to finally get something in his stomach, even if he hated how pathetic he must have looked hunched over the fire. Techno thankfully didn’t comment on it. The piglin never so much as asked about what happened to Tommy, he just treated him like nothing was wrong. Tommy appreciated that. He was still as strong as ever, despite all Dream had put him through. 

The nightmare shattered that illusion. Tommy woke up screaming in his bed. He tried to stifle the noise as soon as he realized what was happening, but by then it was too late. Techno thundered down the stairs, bursting into the basement. He was clutching an axe in one hand and a lantern in the other. Tommy stared at him with wide eyes. 

“What’s going on?” Techno demanded. He glanced around the room, searching out an invisible enemy. “I thought you were dying or something.”

“I’m fine.” Tommy replied. He pulled the blankets up around him. It was embarrassing letting Techno see him so shaken. “Really, you can head back upstairs.”

“Then why were you screaming?” Techno asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. 

Tommy considered his options. It would be easy to lie and say he was bored or something and just wanted attention. Sure, Techno would be pissed at him for a few hours, but he’d get over it. 

“Well?” Techno pressed. 

“I had a nightmare.” The words tumbled out. Tommy slapped a hand over his mouth in surprise. Techno lowered his axe. 

“Oh,” was all the piglin said. Tommy’s face flushed. He threw himself back down onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He could hear Techno shuffling by the stairs. A few moments passed and Tommy realized he was still in the room. He cracked open an eye to look at him. 

“Do you need something?” Tommy asked, his tone angrier than he meant to sound. Techno glanced around the room. 

“I thought--I dunno.” Techno started. “Did you want to talk about it?”

Tommy in fact did _not_ want to discuss his feelings with the known terrorist Technoblade. He shook his head and made a dramatic show of closing his eyes and going back to sleep. A few seconds later he heard Techno’s hooves clacking up the stairs. He sighed and rolled over. His body was still shaking from the adrenaline of the dream. Staring at the stone wall didn’t help. Quietly he resigned himself to one more sleepless night. 

“You still awake?” Techno asked. Tommy nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around to face the piglin. Techno was back at the base of the stairs with his lantern. 

“What are you doing?” Tommy asked. Techno held out a hoof and Tommy realized he was holding something. He studied it closer. It was a cup. 

“I brought you some tea. Same type Phil makes.”

Tommy wordlessly took the mug. The tea was a little bitter, but he didn’t complain. Once he had finished, Techno turned to go. 

“Wait.” Tommy whispered. His brother paused. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, the adrenaline, or both messing with his thoughts, but Tommy found himself asking Techno to stay. The piglin grunted in response and shuffled back upstairs. Tommy felt a wave of shame crash over him. _Of course_ Techno wouldn’t want to fucking babysit him all night. He was such an idiot for asking that. He bit down on his hand to distract himself. The pain kept the nagging thoughts at bay. 

“Is it okay if I crash right here?” Techno asked. Tommy blinked. Techno was back downstairs, this time with an armful of quilts. He pointed to a spot right next to the stairs. Still not fully registering the situation, Tommy nodded. Techno tossed the blankets onto the stone and flopped down on top of them. “Wake me up if you need anything, got it?”

“Got it.” Tommy replied. Techno seemed satisfied with the response. He leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes. Tommy rubbed his hand. The skin stung from where he had bit it. Briefly he felt embarrassed for the whole situation, but somehow having his brother across the room helped. With a tired sigh, Tommy let himself drift off to sleep. 

Dream came to visit the next day. Techno had rushed through the door, sprinting through the house until he found Tommy. He shoved an _Invisibility_ potion into the boy's hands and pointed at the crate in the corner of the room. Tommy knew the meaning. He downed the potion and slid into the container. Seconds later he heard a knock at the door.

Tommy peeked out of his box. Dream stood motionless in the doorway like a grim specter. Techno moved to the side, casually positioning himself between Dream and Tommy. 

“Techno!” Dream said, raising his hand in a friendly wave. “I was in the area and thought I’d drop by to check on the whole Tommy situation.”

“He’s still not here, if that’s what you’re asking.” Techno grunted. Dream cocked his head. 

“Mind if I have another look around?”

“Go ahead.” Techno motioned to the house. “It’s just as you left it the last time you stopped by. Feel free to take a look but you won’t find anything.”

“We’ll see about that.” Dream muttered. He walked further into the house. Techno stayed by the crate. He glanced down at Tommy before picking up a trident leaning against the wall and heading down the stairs after Dream. Tommy hesitated. Part of him knew the safe thing would be to stay right here out of harm’s way. The other part demanded he follow after them. Curiosity won out and Tommy silently slipped downstairs. 

Dream was standing in front of the mess of barrels covering the basement. Techno stood right behind him, arms crossed and waiting. Tommy crouched down on the stairs and watched. 

“Find anything?” Techno asked. Dream shook his head.

“Nah. Still, always better to check, right?” The masked man chuckled. He started towards the stairs. Techno lowered the trident in front of him, blocking his path. Dream looked at him curiously. “Technoblade?”

Techno wore a bored, neutral expression on his face. It was just the flicker in his eyes that gave away his true intentions. “You should stay away from Tommy.”

Dream froze. Tommy’s eyes widened and he clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his gasp. 

"What do you mean?" Dream asked carefully.

"If Tommy were to happen to show up, I'm suggesting you should stay away from him." Techno replied. Dream shifted on his feet.

"I can't do that."

"Then we would have a problem."

"You would choose him over me?" Dream asked. Although his face was hidden, his surprise was clear. It struck Tommy that this was the first time he had ever seen the man unsure. Techno simply grunted in response. 

“What the hell can he even offer you?” Dream asked, chuckling in disbelief. “C’mon now, all he does is fuck up and make messes for the rest of us to clean up. Have you even seen him lately? He can barely make it through a sentence before getting all teary-eyed and useless.”

“He doesn’t need to offer me anything.” Techno responded. He tilted the trident up until it was brushing against Dream’s neck. The motion pricked the man’s skin, drawing a drop of blood. It dripped down onto his green leather, staining it. Techno continued. “He's a kid, Dream, not a warrior. He doesn't need to fight, he just needs to _survive._ "

"Tommy's caused enough trouble in his life to answer for it like a man." Dream hissed. He slowly raised a gloved hand to move the trident from his neck. "Don't baby him."

"I'm not babying him." Techno's monotone voice dipped into something angrier. "I'm just seeing him as the actual living person he is."

Dream tilted his head. "Agree to disagree."

"On what?"

"On the idea that he deserves to be treated like a person--"

Techno's fist connected with Dream's mask with a loud crack. Dream stumbled backward, clutching his face. His back hit the barrels and he almost fell to his knees. He caught himself just in time. Tommy held his breath. Techno was still standing there. His face kept that dangerously neutral expression. 

"I think it's time for you to go now." Techno spoke quietly. Dream didn't respond. For an awful moment, Tommy thought Dream was about to kill the piglin. The moment passed and Dream nodded.

"I guess so."

Tommy scurried up the stairs before Dream could accidentally walk right into him. He pressed himself up against the wall and waited for both men to pass. Techno opened the door. Dream paused in front of it. 

He tilted his head and glanced over at the crate in the corner. Before Tommy or Techno could react, he pulled a hand crossbow from his belt and fired a bolt straight at the box. It cut right through the wooden lid and buried into the wall behind it. Techno flinched. Dream watched the box as if expecting something. Finally he lowered the crossbow, strapping it to his belt and starting out the door.

"I'll drop by next week." Dream said casually as if he hadn't just shot a hole through Techno's wall. Techno closed the door. He stood there long after Dream's footsteps had faded, staring blankly ahead. Tommy crept over to the box. 

"Holy fuck." The boy whispered. Techno whipped his head around to face him.

"Tommy?"

"Right here, big man." Tommy responded, tugging the bolt out of the wall. He held the object in his hand. His _Invisibility_ wore off and Tommy noticed his hands were trembling. Something grabbed him. Tommy struggled in its grip before realizing it was Techno. The piglin held him in a hug. Tommy opened his mouth to remind him he didn't need any pity. He snapped it shut when he realized Techno was shaking. 

Tommy had been through a lot of shit in his life. He had seen his country get blown to smithereens, his best friend get blown up not once but _twice_ in front of him--hell, he had even been stabbed a few times himself. Each one of those events were terrifying beyond what Tommy could properly verbalize, yet they all paled in comparison to what he saw in front of him now. Technoblade, the Blood God and scariest man on the server--the man who had gone up against Dream himself and _won_ \--was crying. It wasn't obvious outside of the occasional shudders and the way the fur surrounding Techno's eyes was matted, but sure enough he was crying. Tommy stayed frozen in his arms until Techno pushed away. 

The piglin rubbed a hoof against his face, taking a deep breath. "Didn't realize you snuck out of the box earlier."

"Sorry." Tommy replied instinctively.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you did." Techno said. His voice was gruff. He cleared his throat. "You hungry? I’ve got some rabbit I could fry up."

Warriors didn't cry. Tommy knew this. It was the reason he bit his hands until they bled late at night, choking down his memories until it no longer hurt to think. It was a sign of weakness and Tommy refused to be weak. 

And yet Techno still looked like a warrior. He was just as intimidating as before and when Tommy thought about it, he found he wasn't any less in awe of the piglin. It was strange. He wasn't sure what to do with this new information.

"I could go for something to eat." Tommy finally responded. Techno turned to the furnace to begin cooking. Tommy's thoughts swirled inside his brain. He decided to take a chance. "Hey Techno?"

Techno made eye contact. "Yep?"

"I might not be…" Tommy hesitated. "I might not be doing that okay right now."

Waiting for an answer was excruciating. He braced himself for something, but for what he wasn't quite sure. Techno seemed to think over the statement. He picked the rabbit back up and returned to skinning it. 

"You've been through hell and back, Tommy." Techno murmured. "It's fine if you're not okay. I'm not going to think any less of you for it."

Tommy leaned against the wall behind him. Outside he could hear the wind sweeping through the area. Back in Logsted it was probably freezing cold. His old tent would be buckling in from the snow right now. Dream always liked to point out the way Tommy shivered from the storms. _Aren't you from the Antarctic?_ _Shouldn't you be a little tougher?_

The crackling sound of frying meat interrupted his thoughts. It smelled delicious. Tommy stepped away from the wall, sliding into one of the dining table's seats. A quilt hung off the back of the chair and without moving his eyes away from the cooking, Techno reached over and draped it across Tommy's shoulders. Tommy pulled it tighter around himself. The blizzard raged on outside, but inside the cottage was warm. Techno slid a bowl of the rabbit stew over to him. It tasted just as good as it smelled. With his mouth full of stew and the blazing fire behind him, Tommy realized he felt safe. For the first time since Tommy had stepped out of L'manberg and into Dream's waiting arms all those weeks ago, he let himself be a little more okay. 


End file.
